The present invention relates generally to components comprised of wood replacement materials and, more particularly, to multilayer synthetic wood components. It is not intended to limit the present invention to a particular type or category of components. The components of the present invention may be substituted for components typically made of wood, particle board, wafer board, or other similar materials. In addition, it should be recognized that the components of the present invention may be substituted for components commonly made of other materials such as, but not limited to, metal, plastic, single layer extrusions, molding materials, and other materials used presently or in the past or future to make components.
The supply of natural woods for construction and other purposes is dwindling. As a result, many are concerned about conserving the world's forests, and the cost of natural woods has risen. In light of these factors, a tremendous demand has developed in recent years for synthetic wood composites, e.g., cellulosic/polymer composites, that exhibit the look and feel of natural woods.
Although improvements and developments are still being made, it is known in the art how to make wood replacement products. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,908,902, 4,091,153, 4,686,251, 4,708,623, 5,002,713, 5,055,247, 5,087,400, and 5,151,238 relate to processes for making wood replacement products. As a result, synthetic wood composites are commonly used for applications such as interior and exterior decorative house moldings, crown moldings, chair rails, baseboards, door moldings, picture frames, furniture components, decks, deck railings, window moldings, window components, window frames, door components, door frames, roofing components, building siding, fences, and other suitable indoor and outdoor items.
Synthetic wood composites can offer many advantages as compared to natural wood. For instance, synthetic wood composites can offer superior resistance to wear and tear. In particular, synthetic wood composites can have enhanced resistance to moisture. In fact, it is well known that the retention of moisture is a primary cause of the warping, splintering, and discoloration of natural woods. Moreover, synthetic wood composites can be sawed, sanded, shaped, turned, fastened, and finished in the same manner as natural woods. Also, synthetic wood composites can be embossed or otherwise textured to promote a wood grain appearance.
There are many different synthetic wood compositions. Each synthetic wood composition has specific characteristics including, but not limited to, appearance, durability, workability, flexibility, weight, resistance to moisture, resistance to cracking and splintering, resistance to expansion and contraction, resistance to discoloration, mildew resistance, ultraviolet light screening ability, etc. A particular synthetic wood composition may be superior to another synthetic wood composition in one respect but inferior in another respect. For example, one synthetic wood composition may provide a desired appearance but not adequate durability, and a different synthetic wood composition may provide excellent durability but lack in appearance. For another example, one synthetic wood composition may provide a desired appearance but be too heavy, and a different synthetic wood composition may be lighter but lack in other respects. Consequently, there is a need for a synthetic wood component that utilizes the advantages of different synthetic wood compositions.
Additionally, it may be costly to incorporate a sufficient amount of certain composition ingredients throughout a single layer synthetic wood component. For example, it can be expensive to incorporate additives for mildew resistance and ultraviolet light screening throughout a single layer synthetic wood component. Therefore, there is a need for a synthetic wood component that conserves the use of composition ingredients without compromising the desired characteristics of the component.
The present invention provides a multilayer synthetic wood component. More particularly, the present invention is comprised of a layer of a first synthetic wood composition that is secured to a layer of a second synthetic wood composition. For example, the first synthetic wood composition layer may be integrally formed with the second synthetic wood composition layer. By securing two different synthetic wood compositions, the present invention may provide a component having an improved combination of appearance, strength, durability, weight, weatherability, and other characteristics. Moreover, the present invention enables the ingredients of each layer to be tailored to the particular application. Consequently, certain ingredients can be conserved, thereby reducing the cost and/or the weight of the component.
The two compositions may form the shape of the entire component. However, it should also be recognized that the two compositions may form only a portion of the component. Examples of components that can be made with the present invention include, but are not limited to, fence components, furniture components, cabinet components, storage device components, lawn edging components, flower box components, floor components, baseboards, roof components, wall covering components, building siding components, basement floor components, basement wall covering components, interior and exterior decorative house molding components, crown molding components, chair rail components, picture frame components, porch deck components, deck railing components, window molding components, window components, window frames, door components, door frames, door moldings, boards, and other suitable indoor and outdoor items.
In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments.